Secrets Never Die is a dark and thrilling mystery. Sam and his friends spend one night a year confessing their darkest secrets. He is a former child star who has struggled with the aftermath of his career going up in flames. Confessing secrets has always been a cathartic experience, until an ominous figure steps out from the shadows. One of their secrets has come to life and is haunting them. Sam and his friends must figure out who is blackmailing them before all of their secrets are revealed one by one…

This was my first book from Vincent Ralph but definitely not my last! I read this book so quickly, it was very hard to put down. Sam and his friends are compelling characters with skeletons in their closets. I enjoyed learning the little clues that built up to their deep secrets. Sam’s secret was a heavy burden and his friends had equally oppressive secrets that were holding them back. I really enjoyed the reveal about who was blackmailing them and why. There was a heavy focus on the action and creepy reveals, so at times I didn’t feel deeply connected to the characters. Still, this was a spooky and fast-paced thriller that I think many readers will also enjoy! 

Thank you so much to Vincent Ralph, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gwen and Art are absolutely not in love- which doesn't matter because their engagement is happening whether they like it or not. As Gwen and Art scheme to become unengaged, they reluctantly decide to work together. Queer chaos and joyous shenanigans are inevitable! Meanwhile, Gwen’s brother Gabe reckons with a new attraction and one of the kingdom’s lady knights arrives in Camelot to compete at a tournament. Can Gwen and Art find a way to follow their true passions (and true loves) before it’s too late?

Lex Croucher is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors! This book was absolutely hilarious. I loved the dialogue, the jokes, and the heartfelt characters. There are universally relatable themes of trying to figure out who you are and balancing personal happiness with parental expectations. I enjoyed the sibling relationship between Gwen and Gabe, particularly some of their one-on-one conversations where they discover truths about each other. I especially loved the pining and angst between Gwen and Bridget! Readers who enjoy queer found family, hilarious dialogue, and delightfully chaotic LGBTQ+ shenanigans will love this book. 

Thank you so much to Lex Croucher, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tilly in Technicolor is the story of a girl with ADHD and a desire to travel far from Ohio this summer. Tilly gets the chance to join her sister Mona as Mona tries to make her nail polish company a success. Unfortunately for Tilly, there’s one other intern on the trip and things between them are already off to a spectacularly bad start. Oliver is creative and has a deep love for color theory. He can identify intricate shades of color with one glance and takes stunning photos for the team. He also has autism, which leads to some miscommunication with Tilly. Can the two neurodivergent interns connect before the end of the trip? 

I loved the witty banter and dialogue in Tilly in Technicolor. Tilly is hilarious and so relatable. Tilly has such a warm and inviting personality. I do not have ADHD or autism, but thought the rep seemed excellent. Tilly and Oliver are never defined solely by a diagnosis, instead they are celebrated for their neurodiverse brains. That is not to say they don’t experience challenges throughout, but this felt realistic. I loved how Tilly and Oliver both found ways to creatively use their unique strengths to help Mona with her company. 

Tilly in Technicolor involves travel across Europe which I loved reading about. Tilly and Oliver develop such a sweet romance and deep understanding of each other. Communication is key and I enjoyed how they had to learn to adjust for how the other communicated. I felt a little frustrated at the “third act break up” because it felt unnecessary, but I appreciated how quickly things were resolved with communication. I enjoyed Mazey Eddings’ adult romances, but Tilly is my new favorite from her! I can’t wait to read what she writes next! 

Thank you so much to Mazey Eddings, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Night of the Living Queers is a chilling and outstanding anthology! This anthology truly has something for everyone. It ranges from the terrifying, to the stories with a twist at the end that will make you shriek, to quietly ominous endings. I loved that there was plenty of queer joy amidst all the Halloween magic and blue moon horrors. 

One of my favorite stories was Sara Farizan’s A Brief Intermission. While the story initially did not seem scary, by the end the quiet menace and haunting last words rang in my mind long after the final page. I also loved Kalynn Bayron’s The Visitor, because I desperately wanted to know what happened next! I couldn’t stop reading to find out what the night was building towards and the conclusion made me shriek. 

Some of the stories show that there is a future where things will improve (Maya Gittelman’s Leyla Mendoza and the Last House on the Lane) or that there will be a chance for justice at last (Kosoko Jackson’s Rocky Road with Caramel Drizzle). Other stories end with a spine-chilling revelation that leaves the characters in dire circumstances (Trang Thanh Tran’s Nine Stops). There are also stories that will leave readers wondering if the characters will ever escape the supernatural trap they’ve wandered into (Rebecca Kim Wells’ Guested) (Vanessa Montalban’s Welcome to the Hotel Paranoia). 

I loved that there were such strong sibling bonds in many of the stories and glimpses of first love/queer joy (Alex Brown’s The Three Phases of Ghost-Hunting). I really enjoyed the opposing magics of Em X. Liu’s In You to Burn and was so curious to see how their story continued off the page! Shelly Page’s story Anna was the stuff that babysitting nightmares are made of! I loved the romantic element and the petrifying final twist. 

Tara Sim writes a compelling story (Hey There, Demons) about what happens when a demon is summoned to deal with a poltergeist. Ayida Shonibar’s Save Me From Myself was heartbreakingly beautiful and will definitely stay with me for a long time. Ryan Douglass’ Knickknack was a wild and fun rollercoaster ride ! This was another of my favorite stories! I could’ve read a full novel about the town battling Knickknack and the continuation of their romance. 

I would highly recommend this anthology to anyone! Readers who love queer stories with a spooky twist, Halloween magic, and LGBTQ+ characters will devour this delightful book. 

Thank you so much to all the authors in the anthology, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Petunia (Pet) is injured at a royal event saving the princess’ consort, her life changes overnight. Suddenly she’s working as a PA for Johnny, the well-meaning but accident-prone royal consort. Matthias is Jonny’s protection officer and helps Pet as they try to guide Johnny through social events with limited mishaps. To quash a newspaper rumor accusing Johnny of infidelity, Pet and Matthias agree to a fake dating scheme. But what happens when the relationship starts to feel real?

Lucy Parker is one of my favorite authors!! Codename Charming is without a doubt one of my top reads of the year. I loved Battle Royal and yet somehow I love Codename Charming even more! Pet and Matthias have an outstanding dynamic and so many excellent tropes. They’ve got a height difference, grump/sunshine, protective bodyguard, fake dating, and witty banter. I love the deep connection that Pet and Matthias have. They’ve both gone through challenges in life that would’ve made it understandable for them to be closed off or shut down and instead they always connect and work together. They are both such sweet and caring characters; I felt so invested in them and loved the progression of their romance. 

I really enjoyed the cameos from Battle Royal, especially the glimpses of Dominic and Sylvie. The royal palace is filled with memorable side characters who provide hilarious commentary on Pet and Matthias’ relationship and step in to help as needed. Codename Charming is such a delightful treat of a book. Lucy Parker has created a world that I can’t get enough of! I hope to see more stories from it in the future. This would be the perfect read for readers who love royals, fake dating, grump/sunshine vibes, and a seriously sweet romance. 

Thank you so much to Lucy Parker, Avon, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Zhara: Guardians of Dawn is the story of Jin Zhara, a girl with magical gifts that she is desperately trying to conceal. Magicians are blamed for the existence of monsters that previously destroyed the land. Zhara must also look out for her sister, who is blind, and cater to the whims of her stepmother that Zhara credits with her survival. When rumors of monsters in the marsh arrive, Zhara meets a mysterious young man named Han. Through him, Zhara learns about the existence of a secret magical group called the Guardians of Dawn. Zhara will have to choose whether to reveal her magical gifts and what she will fight for. 

Zhara is a character that is so easy to connect with and feel invested in. I loved how she acknowledged her flaws and took responsibility for things that her magic caused even when she never intended harm. At times some of the dialogue was a little over the top. The world-building/magic system was initially a lot to process. It is very detailed and thoughtful, but also quite complicated. Now that world-building has been established in this book, I’m looking forward to seeing how it is further explored in the sequel. 

Han is quite the character, he feels bold and  dramatic in the best sense. He definitely eschews the strong and silent type, instead wearing his heart openly on his sleeve. Zhara and Han find themselves in many romantic situations, some of my favorite scenes were the classic forced proximity. I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ rep in a hilarious side character who uses they/them pronouns, which I read as non-binary rep. I loved the inclusion of the Bangtan Boys to the rescue! Readers who enjoyed Sailor Moon, Cinder, and seek books with intense and magical world-building should check this book out! 

Thank you so much to S. Jae-Jones, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.